Life
by ThaTReadeR
Summary: CHAPTERS 1-2 REPOSTED AU: It was supposed to be her best day ever. Instead she finds herself away and gone from the place she calls home for five years. Now returning back to Konoha with her "husband", Sakura Haruno finds her old life dead and gone.
1. Chapter 1

_**::ThaTReadeR signs in::**_

_**THIS IS A REWRITE OF THE STORY.**_

**Life, whether you like it or not.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

**This story is AU where Sasuke never turned bad. All that happened after his betrayal never happened. This starts out NarutoxSakura. Thing's happens. It's life. People move on. Right?**

**Summary: It was supposed to be her best day ever. Instead she finds herself away and gone from the place she calls home for five years. Now returning back to Konoha with her "husband", she finds her old life dead and gone. Expecting to see everything still the same, she'll find out that life in Konoha has moved on without her in it.**

**This story will be seen mostly through Sakura's point of view.**

**Prologue:**

-Beep Beep Beep-

The woman groaned into her pillow as she reached for the alarm clock. She yawned as she rolled over. Opening her emerald green eyes expecting to see her blonde lover, instead she found herself facing a sleeping man with raven hair. An instant frown appeared, on her face, as she remembered the best but worst day ever.

Flashback

_Sakura Haruno was a light sleeper, especially, compared to her lover, Naruto. Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze was currently sound asleep and lightly snoring. He had falling asleep facing her back as she was facing the window. She could feel his arms suddenly tightening around her waist. When she opened her eyes, she immediately shut them again. _

'_We must've forgotten to shut the blinds last night.' She frowned._

_She reopened her eyes slowly. Blinking a few times until her eyes were adjusted to the light, she noticed the alarm clock by her side of the bed said 7:59 AM. She slowly moved her body around so that she could face Naruto. She frowned when she noticed his forehead had a small crease showing up._

'_What could he possibly be dreaming about that could upset him like this..?' she thought._

_She was about to reach over and touch his forehead but stopped when he started to talk._

"_No, back off Ino, she's mine for today. You can go do your girly stuff with her some other day."_

_Sakura felt Naruto pull her closer to him. She smiled to herself. _

"_Why can't you and Sai go do something together?"_

"_Hmph"_

_Sakura chuckled as she heard him muttering. He was pouting in his sleep. However, as much as she wanted to lay in bed with him all day, she'd rather be spending it with him while they were both awake. She leaned in closer to leave a peck on his lips. She pulled away only to capture his lips again. This time she placed them there, lingering a bit longer. It didn't take long for the blonde to wake up and respond back. The kiss lasted a few seconds more before both pulled away for air._

_She gazed into his cerulean eyes and smiled._

"_Morning."_

_He returned the smile with his foxy grin._

"_Morning."_

"_What do you have in mind for today?"_

"_You and me don't get day offs often so as long as I'm with you, I'm happy."_

"_Haha, how about we start off with some breakfast?"_

"_Alright, you can shower first, I'll cook."_

_With a quick peck on the lips, both got out of bed. Naruto, only in his boxers, grabbed a shirt and heading out of the bedroom door. _

_Sakura went to the dresser to grab some clothes. She reached for a skirt and a top but only found one skirt._

"_Hmm I guess it's time to do laundry, I'll just grab one of Naruto's shirts for now."_

_Over the years, Sakura and Ino had gotten Naruto to wear a variety of more shirts and colors. No more was it the hideous orange and black jumpsuit but actual clothes. She went through the shirts trying to find a specific shirt when she noticed a box. Sakura's eyes nearly bulged out of her eye sockets. There, hidden, on the bottom back right corner of the dresser was a little pink box. That only meant one thing. _

'_Oh my gosh! There has to be a ring in there! No way could a necklace fit in that. Wait, technically it could but that has to be a ring!' She thought happily._

_She quickly grabbed a white shirt and went off to shower. When she finished her shower, she got dressed. She approached the kitchen to find not just one blonde but two. _

"_Morning forehead." Ino Yamanaka spoke in a sing song voice._

"_Morning Ino-pig, as much as I looove seeing your oh so beautiful face in the morning, what are you doing here?" Sakura managed to say with a smile._

"_I know huh? You just love seeing my beautiful face in the morning. It beats that blonde one over there any day. Hehe, anyways, I just came to tell you two that there will be a party at Choji's new restaurant tomorrow at 7 pm. I would've been on my way but Naruto invited me in for breakfast. Who could say no to that?" said Ino._

"_Hey hey! Sakura, she's lying. She let herself in when she noticed the pancake batter I was stirring." Naruto piped in._

"_What! Who's the liar now?" Ino argued._

_Naruto and Ino used to be a couple. Sakura hadn't found out until Naruto and her were talking about their past one night. He wouldn't mention to her why they had broken up, though. She tried to ask Ino once but Ino changed the subject. She remembered they seemed really close at one point but she always brushed it off because they were always arguing. Even now, they still argue a lot. They never cried and screamed at each other though. It was only disagreements on every single little thing. _

_After Naruto had told her about Ino and him, Sakura started to notice more things. Aside from their bickering, they were really close. Whenever something was wrong with Ino, she would always turn to them both but mostly to Naruto._

'_What really happened between the two?' Sakura brushed off the question when she heard a knock from the door. She looked up. Naruto and Ino were busy arguing over breakfast and who made it better that they didn't hear the knock._

_She walked towards the door and opened it. Waiting on the porch was Sasuke Uchiha._

"_Morning Sasuke."_

"_Hn. Morning."_

"_Would you like to come in? Naruto is cooking breakfast right now with Ino." _

"_Ino is here? Hn, I guess what I heard was true." Sasuke said quietly._

"_Naruto! Can you make a bit more? Sasuke is here too!" Sakura pretended not to hear that as she yelled to Naruto._

"_Alright!"_

"_Hn. How lovely. Well I guess I have time for breakfast. After we eat though, you and I need to meet with Tsunade-sama."_

"_Wait, are you sure we don't need to go now? What's going on?"_

"_I don't know. Kakashi-sensei stopped by and said that the Hokage has requested both of our presences but we could come in any time today before noon."_

"_Alright, we'll go after breakfast then."_

_Sakura and Sasuke walked into the kitchen to find a huge load of pancakes and scrambled eggs set on the table. _

"_Morning Sasuke." Both blondes said before stuffing their mouths with pancakes._

"_Hn. Morning."_

_Sakura grabbed an extra plate and handed it to Sasuke. Soon after, all four were sitting down and eating._

"_Oh, Sasuke, Choji's throwing a party tomorrow at his new restaurant. It's going to start at 7 pm. Think you can make it?" Ino asked._

"_It depends. Hokage-sama has requested that Sakura and I go see her for something." Sasuke replied._

"_Wait what? Sakura I thought you had the day off." Naruto spoke staring up at Sakura._

"_I do have today off. This must be important then." Sakura replied._

_There was a knock again on the door. Sakura got up to go see who it was._

_She appeared back with Sai following her._

"_Hey guys, guess who else has come to join us. Hungry, Sai?" Sakura said. _

"_Uh, actually no thanks. I can't stay. I just came to tell you both that Tsunade-sama has requested you both to come now. She says it is urgent that you both now come. Now if you don't mind, I'll be leaving now." Sai turned and left._

"_I'll go get ready real fast then. Be right back." Sakura scurried off._

_Sakura returned to the kitchen to find all the plates had cleared and that Ino was washing the dishes as Naruto and Sasuke were in a discussion about a new justu._

"_Ino-pig, you didn't have to do the dishes." Sakura said as she walked back into the kitchen._

"_Oh, don't worry about it, it's the least I can do for the free meal." Ino replied._

"_Hmph what a moocher." Naruto muttered._

"_I HEARD that!" Ino yelled._

"_Naruto, be nice. She's still a guest in the house. Hm, we shouldn't be gone too long. Ready Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asked._

"Yeah, let's get going now. _Hn. Naruto, we're not finished with this conversation. I still believe that the jutsu is real." Sasuke spoke before heading out the door._

"_We'll see about that!" Naruto yelled._

_Sakura walked over and pecked Naruto on the lips._

"_I'll be back as soon as I can. Bye love." Sakura whispered into Naruto's ear._

"_Mmm...Don't take too long. I love you." Naruto whispered back._

"_I love you too. Bye Ino-pig. Try not to kill each other while we're gone." With that said, Sakura was out the door._

_Flashback Ends_

Sakura smiled at that memory. She looked to see Sasuke still lying there sound asleep. She frowned again when it hit her. No longer could she wake up in bed with Naruto. No longer did she have the chance to become Sakura Haruno Uzumaki-Namikaze. No longer was her outer appearance Sakura Haruno. Why? Because Sakura Haruno and Sasuke Uchiha were found _dead_ during a mission on their way to the Land of Sound. Sakura remembered how it was at the Hokage tower when she first found out.

_Flashback_

"_I checked with Tsunade-sama, you two may enter now." Shizune said._

_Sakura and Sasuke walked into the Tsunade's office._

"_Ahh, Sakura and Sasuke, there you two are. Good good. I need you two for a very important S class mission. I couldn't pick just anyone. Trust me this was a very hard decision to make. However, it's your two skills that stand out from the rest. Sakura, trained under me, you have surpassed me when it comes to medical skills and you also have the chakra fist that puts you at an advantage. Sasuke, your sharingan eyes and fighting ability is also at a high advantage compared to most." Tsunade spoke._

"_Hn."_

"_Continue Tsunade-sama. Please ignore him."_

"_I need you two to go the Land of Sound. An Anbu has reported back that the sound village is secretly planning something but can't get close enough. I have a very old friend down at the village that seems to know a bit. Please go to her and escort her back here to Konoha._

"_Tsunade-sama, if our only mission is to just go down to the Land of Sound, what does our skill have to do with this mission, if you don't mind me asking?" Sakura asked._

_Tsunade let out a sigh that didn't go unnoticed by the two._

"_The reason why it must be you two is because of your skill level. All the other villages already know about your skill levels. You, Sasuke, especially for being the last Uchiha that the world knows about. Sasuke, Sakura, you two, might not return back to Konoha. If so, you two won't be the same. "_

_Both stared wide eyed at the Hokage after hearing what she had to say._

"_It seems Zuzu is heavily guarded secretly. I believe when you two meet her. Getting to her may be easy but getting her out won't be easy. If sound ninjas at all attack you two, I need you two to muster a fight all the way. Fight with all the skills and strength that you have. Then you two are going to run. Turn it into a cat and mouse game. Have them follow you. Anbu will be hidden around to get Zuzu out safely."_

"_So basically we're going to die for this woman to get to Konoha." Sasuke said._

"_No." Tsunade sighed again. "You two are going to fake your deaths. No longer will there be a Sakura Haruno or a Sasuke Uchiha. You need to perform it so that a body isn't left and that there's no reason for them to continue hunting you. A secret alias name will be created for the both of you. The only thing is that, you'll only need to perform this jutsu, if they attack you. If they don't attack and you three can make it back to Konoha without a trace. Then this mission will only be an escort mission with s rank pay. You two, get as much rest as possible. You'll be leaving tomorrow morning at six am. You cannot tell anyone of this mission. To everyone outside this room, it's just an escort mission. Good luck to you both. Dismissed." Tsunade said with a wave._

"_Tsunade-sama, will we ever be able to come back if something does go wrong?" Sakura stuttered sadly._

"_After the time is right, but it won't be until after awhile. I'm sorry." Tsunade replied._

_Sasuke decided he would escort Sakura back to Naruto's before going back home to pack for their suicide mission. They both remained silent the whole trip back. Once outside the house, Sasuke waved bye then was gone._

_Sakura frowned. She didn't know what was worse, the suicidal mission, lying to Naruto, or having to say goodbye to him._

_Flashback Ends_

Sakura laid in bed, staring at the ceiling, thinking about her life from when she was a genin to now. Back in her genin days, if she had known, she'd be sharing a bed with Sasuke, she'd probably had died of happiness on the spot. Now though, she'd do anything to be back in Naruto's arms. How she missed her knucklehead. It's been five years now since she's seen him. Five long dreaded years she's been living in Otagakure. She remembered how he reacted when she had to tell him of her escort mission. They were supposed to be spending time together. Instead she had to spend most of it packing. To him it was just a mission. To her it was her life. What hurt was she knew who's shoulder he'd be crying on the moment she left his arms.

Flashback

"_Naruto! I'm home" _

_There was no response. Sakura walked around the house checking for Naruto. No sign of him at all. She walked into the bedroom. She lost her thought and started daydreaming at the sight of their bed. Oh how she loved that bed. All those good memories of just him and her. _

_A pair of arms laced around her waist. Sakura didn't overreact. She didn't jump. She didn't scream. She simply stood there and let the man hold her. She took in his smell. He smelled like soap. He must've been showering when she called. He must've come out as she was staring at their bed. Lost in thought was probably why she didn't hear him open the door. She leaned her back into his chest. They stood like that together for a while before she was first to speak._

"_Naruto...I'm going on a mission tomorrow morning with Sasuke." _

_Sakura wasn't facing Naruto so she didn't see him frown. He simply stayed quiet._

"_We don't know how long it's going to take. It's supposed to be him and me escorting this woman to here from Otagakure."_

_Naruto, having been quiet the whole time, spoke in a low voice, "Why don't you go pack for your mission, shower when you're done, and I'll meet you out in the kitchen?"_

_Before Naruto walked out of the room, Sakura nodded and pecked him on the lips before turning to go pack._

_After packing for her lifelong mission, she went for a shower. When she finished she glimpsed at the clock. It read five forty-six pm. Time to see what Naruto was up to. She left the bedroom._

_Outside the bedroom, there were red and white rose petals on the floor. _

_She followed the trail into the kitchen where she found him lighting the candles on the table._

"_Oh wow. Naruto" Sakura was speechless._

"_I just wanted you to remember us together before your mission with Sasuke. I just wanted it to be special."_

_Sakura was ready to cry. Naruto was clearly jealous and scared that she might leave him for Sasuke. However he managed to cover it up in a cute way with a romantic dinner. She walked over to him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him fiercely. _

_Naruto was first to pull away chuckling._

"_Come let's eat dinner first. I made your favorite."_

_Naruto and Sakura sat down to eat. They chatted along the way of course. Telling and reminiscing old memories of them._

_Sakura was first to yawn._

"_Come on, let's get you to bed."_

_Naruto put all the dishes in the sink. Then he picked up Sakura bridal style and led them into the bedroom. The moment they made it to the bedroom, Sakura chose to start kissing him on the neck. Not wanting to drop her, he placed her gently on the bed before attacking her lips._

_She kissed back with as much force._

_When they pulled away for air, breathing heavily, he whispered, "I love you." to her multiple times._

_She whispered back, "I love you more, Naruto."_

_She laid in his arms happily before they both fell asleep._

_Unknown to him, this would be the very last time they would be in each other's arms like this._

_The next morning, she had woken up early, unable to wake him up and say goodbye. She sat down and wrote him a letter saying goodbye and that she was off to her mission. She felt pathetic for not being able to face him. She was about to walk into a suicidal mission and she couldn't even say goodbye to her boyfriend. She finished it off with an "I love you." Placing the letter in a place she knew he would see, she walked over to him. She placed a kiss on his lips and pulled away. She laughed as she saw him grab for the pillow thinking it was her._

_Checking to make sure she had everything, Sakura Haruno walked out of their apartment. _

Flashback ends

"Sakura..sakura…sakura" Sasuke had awoken and was calling out to Sakura.

Sakura opened her eyes to find Sasuke nudging at her.

"Come on, there's a man here. Do you remember your name?" Sasuke asked.

"Yes yes. My name is Haruko Sasaki and you are my husband Jiro Sasaki."

"Hn. Good, just checking."

"It has been five years now Sasuke."

Sasuke stayed quiet as he got up to get the door.

Sasuke opened the door of their small place. Sakura watched from afar, listening closely.

"Hello, are you Mr. Sasaki?"

"Yes, may I help you?"

"Yes, the Daimyo would like a word with you. Please bring your wife and follow me."

"Hn. One moment please. Haruko-hime, someone at the door here says our presences are needed at the Daimyo's office."

"Oh. Alright, just let me grab my coat." Sakura grabbed her coat but not before looking through the mirror first. Her once pink hair was no longer there. Instead it was dyed blonde with red highlights to cover up her identity. With a quick hair check, she was out the door alongside Sasuke and the man.

When they approached the office, Sasuke and Sakura saw another man talking with the Daimyo.

"Ahh Mr. and Mrs. Sasaki, wonderful that you both could make it." Said the Daimyo.

"Hello sir." Sasuke and Sakura both said.

"Now Mr. Sasaki, this man here is from Konoha, he wishes to offer you a new job." The Daimyo continued.

"Here take this contract and look at it before you make any decisions. I asked your wife to come over so you could agree together. The Daimyo and I will wait outside until you are ready." The man and the Daimyo left the room.

Sasuke and Sakura both looked at the piece of papers. On the last page, what should've been blank after the last paragraph was someone's handwriting in red. It said "Just say yes, we'll figure everything else out later. –Tsunade."

Both stared at each other. This was it. Their one way back to Konoha, back to their home had finally come. With that Sasuke, immediately, called out to the men outside and said he agreed to take the job in Konoha.

After shaking hands, Sasuke and Sakura were on their way to their home to pack. Both excited to know, they could finally return home. When they approached their home, the same man at the office was outside their place.

"Mr. and Mrs. Sasaki, I'm glad you agreed the offer, however the only catch to saying yes is, when the both of you return. Your old identities will be considered dead to everyone in Konoha and it'll remain dead when you return. Jobs have been set up so that both of you can semi-recover your main lives. I'm sorry to say but it won't be the same.

I wish you a safe trip home." With that said, the man vanished in a blink of an eye.

Sakura and Sasuke left the next morning after packing; they traded their house for some money and were off.

Sakura's final thought before concentrating on the road, "_How different could Konoha be after five years? Naruto, are you still the same?"_

_**Better than the original chapter, yes?**_

_**Just small minor changes.**_

_**To be honest, I reread the story and couldn't recognize that I wrote it. ;**_

_**::ThaTReadeR signs off::**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**::ThaTReadeR signs in::**_

_**This is a repost of chapter two. I didn't realize I had so many mistakes in this chapter. o_o**_

_Five years ago_

_Somewhere in the Land of Sound village._

_-A knock on the door was heard- _

"_Daimyo-sama?..."_

"_What is it?" A sharp husky voice spoke._

"_There were ninjas on the border…about six or seven of them."_

"_What information was gathered about them? Do we know?"_

"_We want to believe they were Konoha ninjas. We couldn't get any closer so we don't have enough evidence to back it up. Before we could get closer, they were gone."_

_"Hm, might be from Konoha, eh?_ I wonder what business they might have here. _Athough all those clans in Konoha are brilliant in their own special ways…Maybe I will take my wife and boy there for a visit. If I remember correctly, my wife and their new Hokage used to be good friends. A visit might replenish that friendship."_

"_That sounds like a wonderful idea sir…"_

"_Hahaha…That sounds like a wonderful id-"_

_The man was cut short but a crash heard outside the door._

"_DAIMYO-SAMA!"_

"_WHATS GOING ON OUT THERE!" _

_The man had gotten up from his desk and approached the door. When he opened it another man clearly out of breath had run into him._

"_Daimyo-sama, your son…he needs you at home...he said it was an emergency."_

"_What happen do you know?"_

"_He said nothing to me but to fetch you as fast as I could, his mother and your wife depends on it."_

_The Daimyo left quickly._

_-Outside Daimyo's house-_

"_Brendan! What's going on!" The daimyo yelled in frustration._

"_Father, two men are inside the house. Mom is in there too. They won't let me in but I can't tell on them. They said I had to fetch you and you only. No one is allowed in or they threatened to kill her. Father, I'm scared. "_

_The Daimyo approached his son and hugged him._

"_Brendan…go into hiding...go where I taught you that jutsu..hide there until I come for you… ok?" he whispered into his son's ear._

"_Yes father…be careful…and I love you."_

"_I love you too boy."_

_The boy named Brendan let go of his father then ran off._

_The Daimyo took a deep breath then opened the door and walked in. He found everything dark. He searched the living room. Nothing. Everything was still in place. When he approached the kitchen he saw his wife laying on the ground. He ran to her. From what he could take in, she had been knocked out and had been there for a while. He stood up, grabbed a cloth on the side, got it wet with water, then placed it on her forehead. He decided it would be best to let her at least be comfortable so he picked her up bridal style. _

'_Man… She's gotten a bit heavier throughout the years…' the daimyo thought. 'That or I'm getting weaker….Nah must be her getting heavier.'_

_He carried his wife into their master bedroom and placed her on the bed. He covered her with the blankets and stared at her. _

'_No matter her weight, she's still just as beautiful as ever.'_

_He placed a kiss on her cheek. _

'_Something doesn't seem right…'_

_He let out a sigh._

"_There doesn't seem to be anything wrong besides her fainting. What is Brendan talking about? He should've just called the nurse instead." He muttered to himself._

"_Ha ha ha ha … You spoke too soon."_

_Laughter was heard echoing through the room._

"_What the!" He spun around in search of the location of the voice._

"_Ha ha ha ha … you sure are stupid Daimyo-sama."_

_He had heard it again. It was mocking him and whatever it was it was coming from the closet. _

_He reached into his robe and pulled out a kunai. He walked toward the closet and opened it. Inside the closet caused him to take a step back. He stared wide eyed and agape at what was inside the closet._

"_We meet again ."_

_Five years ago _

_-Naruto's home-_

"_I've heard that jutsu was just a myth!"_

"_What! No it's not!"_

"_Prove it."_

"_How could I prove that?"_

"_Exactly. That jutsu is just a myth. There's no way it's possible."_

"_Ino, you didn't have to do the dishes you know." Sakura spoke as she walked in._

"_Oh, don't worry about it, it's the least I can do for the free meal." Ino replied._

"_Hmph what a moocher." Naruto muttered._

"_I HEARD that!" Ino yelled._

"_Naruto, be nice. She's still a guest in the house. Hm, we shouldn't be gone too long. Ready Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asked._

"Yeah, let's get going now. _Hn. Naruto, we're not finished with this conversation. I still believe that the jutsu is real." Sasuke spoke before heading out the door._

_Sakura walked over and pecked Naruto on the lips._

"_I'll be back as soon as I can. Bye love." Sakura whispered into Naruto's ear._

"_Mmm...Don't take too long. I love you." Naruto whispered back._

"_I love you too. Bye Ino-pig. Try not to kill each other while we're gone." With that said, Sakura was out the door._

"_Bye forehead. I can't promise anything though." Ino yelled._

_Ino finished the dishes and dried her hands off. She then moved to the table to sit down. _

_Naruto walked over to the door and locked it. He then approached the table and sat on the otherside._

_His head was looking at the table. He then looked up at her and smiled._

"_Hey moocher, want to go buy me ramen and I'll stop calling you moocher?" Naruto bargained._

"_Three things. One, why would I want to buy you ramen? Two, why the heck would I buy it for that reason! You'll just find something else to call me. And three, didn't we just eat lunch!" Ino asked looking at him._

"_And…your point is?" Naruto asked looking her, smirking. _

"_You…are…a…complete…fatty!" _

"_Hey! In my defense, I burn it all off anyways! At least I'm not skinny as a stick like Sai!" _

_Naruto caught the look in her eye before she blinked it away._

"_That's not much of a comparison and you know it."_

_Suddenly both were quiet._

_Naruto, uncomfortable with the silence, spoke first._

"_Ino-chan, what's really going on with you?"_

"_Huh?"_

"_Don't give me that act. We used to be together, remember? Just because we've broken up, it doesn't mean I've forgotten you. I still know what makes you scared and when something bothers you."_

"_Naruto…"_

"_Come on Ino-chan, you can tell me." He looked at her in the eyes and gave his famous foxy grin with thumbs up. "You can trust me."_

"_I-I-I can't tell you."_

"_Why not?"_

"_It's not that I don't trust you. Don't get me wrong, you're closer to me than Sakura and Shikamaru. I just can't explain it. It just wouldn't be right."_

_Naruto got up and walked over to Ino. He got down to his knees so that she could look down to him. He looked up at her. He put one hand on her knee. She looked at his hand on her knee as he tried to catch her eye._

"_Ino-chan, you can tell me anything. I swear on my very own life, I won't tell. I won't overreact. I'll react just the way you want me to. Please." He barely whispered. _

_Ino looked down at him with tears in her eyes. Taking a breath, her eyes lowered to a glare._

"_For a guy who wants to be Hokage one day you sure are stupid! I don't why, I don't how, but I can't get over you! I've dated Choji, I've dated Sai, heck, I've even dated Sasuke. None of them work out. None because they aren't you! All of them having characteristics that many girls would die for. Sai, he was perfect for me, he was almost everything I could ask for. But the one thing that he didn't have was he wasn't you. I-I can't get over you. The time I realized it though, you were already with Sakura. You looked so happy. Then it hit me. You and me, we were really done. I tried to stay away from you two. I couldn't sit there and watch you two be all cuddly like how you and I used to be. When we met again at that festival, when I saw you, when I looked you in the eye, I couldn't do it anymore. I had to see you. Sai, he understood, he took the blame for our break up. He told everyone it was his fault. He understood and handled the situation perfectly... I just couldn't do it. I still want you so badly Naruto, so badly it hurts. Just to see you in the morning for breakfast, even if your eyes and lips belong to another, it's good enough for me…I-I-I hope your happy... I gave you the answer you wanted. Please don't tell Sakura or anyone else. Let's just pretend nothing happened. Excuse me, I need to get away for a while."_

_Ino got up nearly knocking the chair over. Her eyes were red from crying. Tears were falling down her cheek. She was almost to the door. Before she could open it, Naruto had put his hand out. His hand on the door prevented the door from being opened._

"_Ino-chan… don't I get a say in this? How could you think that? When we broke up, it was the worst feeling in the world. I'd rather face Pain again then let you go. That argument that we had was the stupidest thing in the world. But when we broke up, you made it clear you wanted nothing to do with me. You don't know how much it hurt to watch you, to see you smile, and to know it wasn't my doing that made you laugh. Before I was with Sakura-chan, I didn't think there was any way anyone would ever make me happy. Then when we got together. She showed me how to have fun again. I love Sakura. I love her a lot but my love for her will never compare for my love for you. I don't regret one thing about being with Sakura though. She deserves to be happy and I know the one most absolute thing to make her happy is if we wed. That's why I plan to propose to her after the party at Choji's."_

"_Naruto, Sakura is one lucky girl. You and me had our chance. We had a good time while we were together. I don't regret anything about it. I won't forget it but as Sakura's best friend. I'll have to get over it. Come whiskers, whatever it is that Tsunade-sama is planning for Sasuke and Sakura. It still was supposed to be your two little day off. So I'll do you a favor and help you fix up dinner. When she gets home, all you have to do is heat it up." Ino wiped her tears away and and stared forward looking past Naruto full of determination._

"_Haha..you haven't called me that in a while and Ino? I can cook. Thanks though."_

"_Pshh. I'm about to teach you a delicious dish that will even have your mouth watering. If it doesn't, I'll buy you ramen for a week."_

"_Race you to the kitchen!" Naruto laughed._

_-Back in the village of the sound-_

_The Daimyo dropped his kunai on the ground. Inside was his wife tied up. She had a cloth over mouth that kept her from screaming. Her arms were tied behind her back. Her feet tied together. Whoever did this must have had something planned for back up. From the looks of it, she looked like she was under a genjutsu. There seemed to be a tape recorder on play. _

_The man look horrified. _

'_If my wife is here, who is that laying in our bed?...'_

_-clap clap clap-_

_The Daimyo turned around. There stood "his wife" sitting on the bed and "her" feet touching the ground. _

"_Ahh what a lovely home you have Daimyo-sama. I'm sorry to have to intrude this way but I had to make sure you'd do as I say. _

"_What do you want?"_

"_I want you to fetch me a Konoha ninja. His name is Sasuke Uchiha. Have you heard of him?"_

"_Yes..yes.. he's the last supposing Uchiha except for his brother Itachi Uchiha."_

"_Fu fu fu it seems you know a bit. Well I'm after that boy. My plan is to use him against his brother and take both captive. However a certain incident has left me troubled. I can no longer do it myself. So I ask that you do so."_

"_I can try sir I can summon a request to the Hokage to get him down here."_

"_I don't care how you do it. I want him here that's all."_

"_I-I demand to know who you are this minute first and …"_

"_FATHERrrrrr!" screamed Brendan._

"_Not so fast Daimyo-sama. One wrong move and he'll die. You no longer call the shots anymore. I do."_

_The person on the bed took their hands and put it on their face. They took off the wig hair and shiny long black hair shuddered down. They then reached for their face and pulled down the mask._

"_It's…you…Orochimaru-sama….!"_

"_Fu fu fu fu I'm glad you recognize me. Oh just to make sure you don't try to run away." Orochimaru snapped his fingers._

_Another man walked in but not before throwing down a boy all tied up in front of him._

"_Brendan!"_

"_Oh is that his name? Well Brendan-kun here will only get worse by the second if you don't complete your half of the deal."_

"_What are you talking about?"_

"_Hn..Kabuto..if you would be so nicely as to show Daimyo-sama here what I mean."_

_The other man by the doorway reached into his pocket and pulled out a shot. He then took the boys arm and shot the chemicals through._

_Brendan screamed before losing consciousness._

"_He will die if he doesn't have the antidote. The only way to get the antidote is either from me or from a Konoha nurse. Under that Tsunade-sama, they exceed very well down there. Now remember our deal. You get me Sasuke-kun and I'll give you that antidote."_

_With that said, Kabuto walked over to Orochimaru and both were gone in a puff of smoke._

"_Remember one wrong move and you'll regret it. Fu fu fu." Echoed in the room._

_The Daimyo grabbed his son, untied him then placed him on the bed. He then ran to the closet. He took off the genjutsu on his wife and untied her. _

"_Zuzu-hime, wake up."_

"_Oh, Takane-kun, what's going on?"_

"_Honey, we've been threatened. If I don't get Sasuke Uchiha here into the land of the sound, then Orochimaru-sama will kill Brendan."_

"_Brendan? They have him!" Panic rising in her voice._

"_No no he's in our bed, they placed something in his body and the only way to fix it is through an antidote. Could you please ask your friend Tsunade to come take a look at him while I figure out a mission that will summon the Uchiha boy._

"_Yes right away."_

_-Outside Konoha's gates-_

"_State your name and service please"_

"_My name is not important but I need this to be given to the Hokage. It's extremely important that I give it to her myself."_

"_One moment, you'll have to be escorted. Did you have an appointment with her?"_

"_It was set up last night that I met with her today."_

"_We shall see about that. Kiba, take Akamaru and escort this young man to the Hokage's tower. Don't let him out of your sight."_

_-Inside Tsunade's office-_

"_Hokage-sama, this is for you from Daimyo's wife." The boy handed the hokage a letter._

_Shizune watched from behind the hokage's shoulder. The wording on the letter couldn't be read because it was blank._

"_Tsunade-sama…is there some type of jutsu on there?" Shizune asked in curiosity._

"_I believe so, it's so that only my eyes can read it. Whatever it is, it must be more serious then I've thought._

_Dearest Tsunade-chan,_

_It's me, Zuzu-chan. It's sure been a while. I've been meaning to request your presences in a drink for sake but I've been busy and I assume you've been too. In case you haven't noticed, on this letter contains a jutsu so that only you could read it. If this were to fall in someone else's hands, it would show up blank._

_The reason why I've sent this to you is that, my son is endangered. This man, my husband calls, Orochimaru, he was your classmate right? I don't remember much because apparently I was under a genjustu and tied up. My husband said that our son Brendan was injected with something. The only cure is the antidote which they have or if a Konoha nurse came down here. They offered up the antidote in return for a boy named Sasuke Uchiha._

_I know it's extremely rude of me to ask of you but if you could please send someone you trust. What about that apprentice of yours? You told me once in a letter she's almost exceeded passed your medical skills. I've gotten desperate. They chose my son of all things to choose from. If they threatened my husband by using me I'd tell him to take Brendan and run but no. It wasn't me. So please, I beg of you. Please send Sasuke and your apprentice over. Here happens to have many ninjas that support Orochimaru. They're watching the house. One nearly attacked me when I was returning from the market. If you do send them, please make it a rescue mission and rescue our son. Inside the envelope, there should be a picture of the boy. Have them return back to Konoha with Brendan. I don't care what happens to me my only concern is that my dear boy is safe._

_Sincerely,_

_Zuzu_

"_Thank you boy, you are dismissed. Please leave. Shizune, I need a word with you but first get Kakashi over here. I fear the worst for this mission that I'm about to arrange."_

-Present time outside Tsunade's office-

"Excuse me, Mr. and Mrs. Sasaki, the Hokage will see you now. Please enter the doorway through here."

"Thank you very much."

"Hn. Thank you."

Both strolled in the room. Shizune shut the door behind them and was gone.

"You two may sit, I'll be with you in a sec."

Sakura and Sasuke walked over to the chairs and sat down. Both watched as Tsunade performed a silencing jutsu on the walls. Then she sat down and looked at them both.

"Sakura and Sasuke…or should I say Haruko and Jiro Sasaki…you two blended in quite well. I barely recognized you."

Both bowed their heads.

"I'm sorry you two couldn't go back to your old identities. Sasuke I will arrange something immediately so that you can have a job here to stay. Sakura I can find you a position back at the hospital but you'll have to work your way up again."

"That's fine."

"It's alright. Anything to be back here again is wonderful."

"I'm sorry it took so long to retrieve you two. If I had it my way, you two were supposed to be back in one year or so."

"Don't worry about it Tsunade-sama."

-Knock knock-

"Come in." Tsunade yelled.

A man and woman walked into the room. Sasuke and Sakura recognized them as Neji and Hinata Hyuga.

"I apologize for the interruption but you called for us?" Neji asked as they both bowed to Tsunade in greeting.

"Neji. Hinata. This is Mr. and Mrs. Sasaki. They've just moved into Konoha today. Neji, this is the man I was having word with you about. Highly skilled and will benefit your company greatly. Would you please find him a job so that they can get started on life here? Hinata, this woman here studied nursing most of her life. Do you think you could help get her a job in the hospital please?"

"Hai." Both the Hyugas nodded.

Neji turned to Sasuke. He placed his hand out. "Hello, my name Is Neji Hyuga. This is my cousin, Hinata."

Sasuke shook his hand. "My name is Jiro, sir. This is my wife, Haruko. Pleasure to meet you both."

When Sakura looked up to greet Hinata properly and to shake her hand, she noticed Hinata looked more mature. Her face was no longer shy and nervous. Sakura even noticed her left hand, specifically her ring finger had a diamond ring on it.

Attempting to make small talk, Sakura complimented her ring.

"That's a beautiful ring you have. You're married?" Sakura asked.

"Recently engaged." Hinata said blushing.

"Aww, congratulations."

"Thank you very much Sasaki-chan."

"Well now that the introductions are finished, I believe it's time to start talking housing. Neji. Hinata. You two are excused."

"Hai." They both bowed then left.

"She's engaged to Kiba Inuzaka. Hiashi was a mess when he first found out about it." Tsunade chuckled. "If Hiashi was still clan leader, I'm sure she would be banned already."

Sasuke and Sakura nodded.

"Anyways, about housing, you two will be given the Uchiha's household. I believe it's best if you take it even though you won't live under roof as an Uchiha. I'm sorry to say that, if no one takes it, the building will be tore down. After the war, most of it was destroyed anyways." Tsunade continued.

-poof-

A tall smiling man appeared in the middle of the room.

"Oh, Tsunade, I'm back!" the man said smiling with one thumbs up.

Within seconds, he was thrown across the room. His face meeting the wall.

"Jaraiya what did I tell you about just popping into my office !" yelled an angry Tsunade.

"This happens everytime anyways whether I pop in or not." Muffled Jiraiya.

After he fixed himself up and shook off the wall dust, he looked up to see Sasuke and Sakura.

"Oh, no wonder she's so angry. I'm terribly sorry for intruding. The name is Jiraiya." He introduced himself.

"Jiro Sasaki. This is my wife, Haruko."

"Hm. I'll be back later to give my report then." Jaraiya said looked at Tsunade. "Oh, by the way, the kid is back too. He must have gotten lost between the gates and your office." He said chuckling.

Tsunade glared at him. That's when she noticed he was bleeding.

"Jaraiya, you idiot, you're bleeding!"

Jaraiya looked down. He was indeed bleeding.

"Oh, colliding with the wall must've opened wounds up."

"Open wounds up!"

"The kid surpassed me. He almost lost control one time though. Had to use a lot of chakra to stop him. Don't worry about me though. I'm fine." Jaraiya said.

Tsunade shook her head.

"Baa-chan. He's lying. He got that wound from when certain some people caught him." A man said laughing from the door way.

"Why you little snitch! Naruto I told you it wasn't like that!" Jaraiya turned around yelling.

"You idiot!" Tsunade hit him over his head.

"Shizune! Get Jaraiya to the hospital for a checkup please."

"Hai."

Hearing the name Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke turned to the man in the doorway.

Sakura's breath stopped for a second.

There in the doorway stood Naruto. His blonde hair looked like a lion's mane. There were three whiskers on each side of his face. Sakura could see his muscles through the shirt he was wearing.

"Sorry baa-chan, I had to go shower first and see the wife." Naruto said rubbing the back of his head.

"Oh hey, I'm Naruto!" He said happily to Sasuke and Sakura.

Shaking his hand, Sasuke introduced himself.

"Name's Jiro."

"Nice to meet you."

When Naruto and Sakura shook hands, she looked into his eyes. "Hi, my name is Haruko."

Naruto didn't respond back. Naruto eyes were lost in Sakura's.

He lost contact first by shaking his head.

"Sorry, nice to meet you too. I must say, your eyes…they're really pretty. Jiro, my man, you're one lucky man."

Naruto was the only one in the room who missed the look in Sakura's eyes as he was busy yawning.

"Naruto, can you escort them to the Uchiha household. That'll be their new home unless they decide to move out."

Naruto's face became serious after hearing "Uchiha".

Tsunade and Naruto had a small staring contest before he sighed.

"Alright, let's go you two. It's a bit far from here. Come on, after you guys get settled in, we can all go grab some ramen to eat." He said happily leaving the room.

Sasuke, Sakura, and Tsunade shared a look before shaking their heads.

_No matter how old he was, he was still Naruto._


	3. Chapter 3

"So over there is the old Uchiha household." Naruto said pointing at the building.

"I'm sorry but who is Uchiha?" Jiro(sasuke) asked.

"Uchiha was their clan name. I can't really say much about the family because I was a baby when they all died. This one Uchiha named Sasuke was like a brother to me. He had a goal to kill his brother for the longest time because his brother Itachi killed the whole family. Crazy neh?"

"Yeah, just a bit." Sasuke agreed.

"Officially all of the Uchiha members have passed away. If you two didn't get the place, it'd probably get destroyed completely." Naruto continued. "Itachi died to Sasuke's hands." Naruto got quiet.

"You alright, Naruto?" asked Haruko(Sakura) with concern.

"I'm sorry, it's just some stupid mission that Baa-chan assigned ruined my life completely. I lost my two teammates forever. My b-brother, S-sasuke, and m-my…"

Sakura was dreading this moment. She had to watch her Naruto break down in front of her about _her_. She nearly cried watching him barely say her name.

"..girlfriend..Sakura..they had both died during the mission."

"I'm sorry Naruto. I didn't mean to cause such memories." Sasuke said.

"No no. It's fine. You wouldn't have known. You were just curious. I'm the weak one."

Sakura wanted so badly to comfort Naruto in her arms. She wanted to grab him and kiss him. However, she couldn't. Her life as Sakura Haruno was gone. All she could do was watch.

"Well here we are. Why don't you two get settled in? How about at eight ish we go to visit my friend's restaurant. It's like one of the best restaurants here! I can bring my wife too for you two to meet her." He said looking up with a smile.

Sakura cringed at the word "wife". Sasuke took up Naruto's offer. They shook hands one final time before going separate ways.

* * *

As Sasuke and Sakura walked around their "new" home, they took in their new environment. There was more freedom here in Konoha but they still had to be careful. No one could know about their past besides the Hokage and themselves.

Sasuke explored all the rooms making a mental note of what had changed and what hadn't.

Sakura made herself feel at home the best she could.

After they made their self feel more comfortable, they waited until eight came.

Sakura wasn't sure whether or not she was thrilled about sitting across Naruto and his wife.

"Hey Sakura, you alright?"

Sakura looked up at her "husband" and smiled slightly.

"I've been worse."

Ever since they faked their death, they lost their old personality. They lost their temper. They weren't able to get mad easily anymore. Their smiles had grown faker. Now they were able to smile and make it seem real. No one knew their past so no one could tell whether it was a fake smile or not.

Having been away from Konoha, Sasuke and Sakura were always together. They knew deep down they could never love the other romantically. However, they remained faithful to their marriage. Having practiced, they were able to make their affection for the other seem real.

They've had five years to solidify their new life. Now being back in Konoha, they were put to the test. If they can't keep up with their lie here, they may die. However not only would they have to die for real, they would put Konoha in a lot of danger.

"Want to practice our background information on everything? We need to make sure we have a straight story." Sasuke asked.

Sakura looked down at the floor.

They went through the information for a few hours. There was no way they were going to jeopardize their new life. Without being a ninja anymore, they could freely live their life this time.

* * *

When time came around, they got ready and dressed.

Being poor, they didn't have much attire to choose from. However, they did have decent clothing to wear. Sasuke was dressed in a white dress shirt with black pants. He had black dress shoes too. Sakura had a green halter top and grey pants with green flats.

Naruto arrived on time to pick him up.

He was dressed in an orange white striped polo and blue jeans.

"Hey you two, ready to go eat?"

"I just need to lock up. You ready honey?"

"Oh yes. I'm starved." Sakura said.

"Excuse me, I forgot to grab something." Sasuke went back into the house.

Sakura noticed it was just Naruto by himself.

"Hey Naruto, didn't you say your wife was coming?" Sakura asked.

"Oh, she's at the restaurant already." He said smiling up at her.

"Ah, I see. I can't wait to meet her."

"That'd be awesome. I think you two could be great best friends. I'm sure you'll like her." He said.

"How long have you two been married for?"

"Too be honest, if it wasn't for my wife's stubbornness, I'd probably be moping somewhere in my house. However, I've been married happily for two years now." Naruto was kicking at a rock on the ground before he looked up at Sakura.

"How about you? When did you two get married?" Naruto asked.

"Heh, we got married five years ago. We had a quiet wedding. I actually ran off with him to get married." She laughed.

Naruto joined in laughing.

"Well, lucky him." It was that comment that made Sakura put up a fake smile. If only, Naruto could know the real story.

"Alright I got what I needed. Hope it didn't make us late." Sasuke said.

"Oh don't worry about it. The restaurant owner is like a family friend. I'm sure my wife is finding a way to entertain herself too. Okay, let's get going though before she sends the Inuzuka clan to look for me."

* * *

They walked to the restaurant. Sakura and Sasuke were amazed. The restaurant was huge and it looked amazing.

"This is the Akimichi clan's restaurant. My buddy Choji owns the place. He calls the restaurant, "The Butterfly." Pretty strange choice for a restaurant though. He claims that when inside, everyone is at peace. They tend to forget their troubles here and are distracted by how great the food is. I must admit he's right on that though. The food here is to die for."

They walked into the restaurant. They were facing a stairway. To the right were tables all over and a stage. To the left was a bar with couches and bookcases.

"Welcome back, Mr. Namikaze. Your wife is waiting upstairs for you. Hello, welcome, are you two with him?" A waitress greeted.

"Yes" they answered.

"Very well, follow me." They proceeded up the steps.

The whole floor was filled with tables. Music was playing loudly. In the center was a huge "o" sized grills. Flat screen televisions were surrounding the ceiling around the grills. Chefs were in the middle singing along together.

"See Choji? He did get lost along the way." Laughed a woman.

"Aw man, Naruto, I thought you knew better than that." Laughed Choji.

"Hey now, I didn't get lost." Pouted Naruto.

Sakura looked up at Choji first. He had gotten bigger and broader. He had a beard growing as well. He was all dressed in white clothing. His sleeves were rolled up. His chef hat being the tallest compared to the others showed he was the main chef.

She then took a dreading look at Naruto's wife. She was gorgeous. Her blonde hair was long and straight down to her back. She was dressed in a purple and silver colored dress to her knees. She had silver earrings on. One side of her ear, her hair was placed behind her ear. A flower was seen sticking out.

"Hello wife, I see you have much faith in me." He smiled pulling her in for a kiss.

The wife smiled back. When they pulled away, she said, "I'm glad you know."

Sakura forced a smile. She had to admit, it was cute to watch their exchange between each other.

"Ignore those two, if they could have it their way, none of us would exist except to do their dirty work. Hello, my name is Choji and it'll be my pleasure to serve you tonight." Chuckled Choji.

"The pleasure is ours. The name is Jiro and this is my wife Haruko."

"Haruko? That's a pretty name. Hello, I'm Naruto's wife, Ino. And Choji, not quite, if I could have it my way then…" she smiled devilishly.

"Thank you. Nice to meet you too, Ino." Sakura's words were speaking for themselves. The name and the person in front of her didn't register until after she had said Ino.

Sasuke and Sakura looked at each other and back at the people standing in front of them.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the food will be ready in a bit. Please find wherever you want to sit and the food will be served to you shortly. Please enjoy."

* * *

Sakura was having a mental battle in her head.

What was worse? Naruto being married to a random bimbo who was hot or Naruto being married to Ino who was hot?

Sakura never felt so insecure about their past relationship. If those two had gotten together, how close were they really? When he looks at Ino, he has that same sparkle that used to be for me. Ino has my perfect life.

Her thoughts were lost when the food had arrived. All of it was gourmet styled and it smelt delicious. She never felt so ravenous for food at the moment.

She mentally agreed what Choji said about his food was right. It made you forget your previous thoughts when you looked at the food.

She knew deep down she would be hurting later though. However right now, food was the only thing on her mind.

To Sakura's surprise, she was having a great time. She wasn't sure if she was genuinely having a good time or if it was the alcohol kicking in. Either way, she was happy.

After they finished eating, all four walked back to the Sasaki household.

Naruto and Ino were walking hand in hand and having their own conversation. Sasuke and Sakura walked together linked in arms. After they made it home, they bid their farewell.

It wasn't until after Sasuke helped Sakura into the shower. As the water sprayed at her, her thoughts started to come back.

She muttered sadly.

_Naruto, I miss you so dam much right now! _


End file.
